Legion of Mary Background
Legion of Mary: Queen Assumed into Heaven Praesidium
A. PREAMBLE
We are a dynamic intercultural association from nine countries-Cameroon, DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
We lead the Rosary decades during our weekly meetings in fourteen languages-Acholi, Ibo, Idoma, Itsekeni, English, French, Mutoro, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Shona, Swahili, Yoruba, and Zulu.
Membership:
Membership is open to all baptized Catholics. After visiting the Praesidium a few times, one can join the Legion of Mary as a Probationary member. This is a three month period in which the member is introduced to the activities of the Legion of Mary, after which they are welcome to officially join the Legion as a permanent active member when they are ready, by taking an oath of “Legion Promises” where they pledge allegiance to the Holy Spirit and to Mary in order to become officially part of the group.
Types of Membership:
1. Active membership
We currently have 14 members who:
Regularly attend meetings of the Praesidium weekly
Pray daily the Legion prayers and the “Tessara” which comprises of prayers that invoke the Holy Spirit, the Rosary, the Catena, the Magnificant, and other short prayers.
Every week do active apostolic work
2. Pretorians
We currently have 2 members.
This is a higher grade of active membership, whereby in addition to duties as active members, they pray Devine office and attend Mass daily.
3. Auxilliary members
We currently have 21 members.
This is a vital “back-up” spiritual component of the Praesidium which consists of members who are not able to undertake active work, but do give indispensible support through their faithful commitment of daily recitation of the “Tessara.”
4. Adjutorians
We currently have 11 members.
This is a higher degree of Auxilliary members who besides praying the “Tessara” daily, also attend Mass daily and recite any office approved by the church.
5. Probationers
We currently have 7:
These are people who are aspiring to become members of our Praesidium.
-Among our membership, we have 3 Priests, 5 Nuns and 2 Seminarians
-The Government, Spirituality, and Apostolate work of the Legion group is done according to the Legion of Mary handbook.
B. MISSION
Our object is the Glory of God, through holiness of its members, developed by prayer and apostolic work in union with Mary and under the direction of the Holy Spirit in advancing the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is accomplished under the guidance and disposal of the Archbishop and our Parish Priest.
C. VISION
With God’s Grace we attend to:
Form Junior Praesidiums in all the fourteen Catholic Schools and Senior Praesidiums in all the Parishes in our Pretoria Diocese.
Establish a Comitium in this Diocese
D. WORK UNDERTAKEN
Visitations to homes, hospitals, prisons, hospices and streets.
E. GENERAL
We have good relations with our Curia and Senatus hierarchy because we attend all monthly meetings, annual retreats and Acies arranged by them.